The present invention relates to distinctive food products. More particularly it relates to a meat product which has the flavor and aroma of the familiar frankfurter but which has distinctive features of form and fabrication which lend novel and desirable attributes to the product.
The frankfurter is a common article of commerce and is characterized by its content of pork or beef or some combination of the two and by some characteristic spices or seasonings to give the product its distinctive aroma and flavor. The frankfurter is also known as a hot dog because its long cylindrical shape gives it a resemblance to the dachshund. It is a most familiar article of commerce and millions are purchased and eaten each year. A number of patents relating to frankfurters have been issued and among them are the following which are known to the applicant: Nos. 4129899; 3857330; 4713135; 4741938; 4356201; 2698800 and 4563231.
In spite of the large scale consumption of hot dogs, or perhaps because of it, certain shortcommings and deficiencies have been recognized in the production, handling, distribution, preparation and consumption of hot dogs. One problem which has received widespread attention is the tendency of children to choke on the hot dogs which they eat. This problem arose in part because the hot dog fits easily in the child's mouth so that a piece having the full diameter of the dog can be bitten off. The problem is that the child tries to swallow the piece but the piece is too large to be swallowed whole by the child.
Another problem arises in cooking. One aspect of this problem is that almost all grills have parallel bars to support the food being grilled. The hot dog tends to fall into the opening between two bars and to make it difficult for the chef to turn the hot dog on the grill. A result can be that almost all the heat is delivered to one side of the hot dog and it is excessively cooked on one side and undercooked on the other.
In order to avoid having the hotdog nest itself between two bars of the grill some chefs lay the hotdog accross a number of bars. This makes it easier to roll the hotdogs over to cook them more evenly. However frequently the hotdogs continue to roll and fall right off the grill. This is particularly the case if the grill is an outdoor type that is frequently located on uneven terrain.
Another common problem of which users of hot dogs complain is the tendency of the product to become dried out by the cooking of its long cylindrical form. To avoid such drying our special cooking utensels which operate at lower temperatures are manufacured for the food processing trade. These low temperature cookers avoid the drying out of the hot dogs but do not impart the desirable zestful flavor to the cooked hot dogs. One such device is a special cooking rack having a set of low temperature rollers constantly turning beneath a number of revolving hot dogs. The hot dogs sometimes stay on such racks for hours without burning but the long term, low temperature cooking can impart an oiliness or greasiness to the hot dogs which detract from their otherwise desirable flavor and texture.